Information

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If you're doing the work

It's up to you to make sure that the work you do is safe and meets Scottish Building Standards.

Making sure you meet Scottish Building Standards

If you want to do any building work yourself, make sure you have the right skills and knowledge to do it.

For minor building work, you can get guidance from technical handbooks. These are published to help you meet Scottish Building Standards. However, it's likely you'll still need to discuss this with your local council.

If you're not sure you have the right skills or knowledge for doing building work you should get advice from a professional, like a builder or an architect.

Use of materials in building work

You must make sure the material used in your building work still meets Scottish Building Standards.

Technical handbooks explain more about materials that meet Scottish Building Standards.

When you need to talk to your local council

You need to get in contact with your local council before you start building work if any part of the work you're planning involves:

  • alterations
  • extensions
  • conversions
  • demolishing part or the whole of a building
  • building a new home
  • changing the structure of a building

Your local council's Building Services department will be able to tell you whether you need to apply for a Building Warrant before you start the work.

Aberdeen City CouncilAberdeenshire CouncilAngus CouncilArgyll and Bute CouncilClackmannanshire CouncilComhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council)Dumfries and Galloway CouncilDundee City CouncilEast Ayrshire CouncilEast Dunbartonshire CouncilEast Lothian CouncilEast Renfrewshire CouncilEdinburgh CouncilFalkirk CouncilFife CouncilGlasgow City CouncilHighland CouncilInverclyde CouncilMidlothian CouncilMoray CouncilNorth Ayrshire CouncilNorth Lanarkshire CouncilOrkney Islands CouncilPerth and Kinross CouncilRenfrewshire CouncilScottish Borders CouncilShetland Islands CouncilSouth Ayrshire CouncilSouth Lanarkshire CouncilStirling CouncilWest Dunbartonshire CouncilWest Lothian Council

Find out how to apply for a Building Warrant.

You can be fined and ordered to remove any new building work if you need a Building Warrant and do not get one.

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